All Rise...

The Charge

As long as you don't choose, everything remains possible.

Facts of the Case

The year is 2092, his name is Nemo Nobody. He's 118 years old, and one of the
last mortals on earth; but there is no record of his existence anywhere. His
psychiatrist and a journalist try and uncover the mystery that is Nemo Nobody,
and after he is placed under hypnosis, details of his past begin to emerge.
Nemo's life changed dramatically at age 9, when his mother and father got
divorced; and to make matters worse, they tell Nemo that he must decide which
parent he wants to live with. But that is far too difficult a decision for a boy
of nine to make, so he chooses instead to make none at all. Standing still
between a life with either his mother or father, Nemo creates many possible
outcomes; but he can only choose one of them.

The Evidence

Ever hear of the paradox of Schrodinger's Cat? It basically states that if
you put a cat in a box with a poison that might kill him, without seeing inside
the box, the cat is both alive and dead. Mr. Nobody is a little bit like
this; since Nemo can't decide which parent to live with, his indecision creates
a separate, yet simultaneous life with both his mom and dad. (In my humble
opinion, it is a chicken shi*t thing for any parent to put this kind of pressure
on a young child) -Okay enough with the editorializing. This film is sheer
fantasy, of course we can't live many lives at once, but it makes sense in the
mind of a child, hurt by his parents' inability to work through their marital
difficulties, to create this kind of make believe world.

If you prefer a linear film going experience, Mr. Nobody may not be
for you. This film doesn't come close to moving in a straight line, it is a
jagged trek through the mind of a small boy placed in a ridiculously difficult
position. And because it moves in leaps and bounds not just through one life but
through many, I have to tell you, it made my head hurt trying to write this
review. Still, I absolutely love this movie!

Here's one reason why: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) is amazing. I
can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen his work, and if this film
is any indication, he is brilliance wrapped up in a handsome little package. He
plays Nemo as the old man, and you would hardly know it was him. The makeup is
excellent, he has the weathered look of a centenarian, but it's his demeanor
that sells the whole package. Leto changes the tenor of his voice and moves his
body in the realistic manner of someone of that age. As the elder man harkens
back to his many lives, we also see Leto as a thirty-something Nemo, struggling
through the many parallel existences, looking for a purpose to his life that he
finds only when he's in the timeline with his true love Anna (Diane Kruger Inglourious Basterds). One of my favorite
lines from the film is delivered by Leto as the old man, when asked by the
journalist what his life was like when he was younger. He replies, "Most of the
time nothing happened, like in a French movie." A humorous knock by the Belgium
born director on his neighbors to the south.

15 year old Nemo is played by Toby Regbo. We see more brilliance on hand as
the teenaged Nemo is living in a timeline with his mom. He is miserable after
she begins a new life with the man she left his father for. He resents both of
them of course, but it is because of this infidelity that he meets his one and
only, Anna. We also get a glimpse of Nemo as a teen in a life with his father.
In this existence his relationship with dad is far better than that with mom.
Here, Nemo's father depends on his young son to take care of him because he is
suffering with some form of dementia; but it's clear that Nemo loves his father
dearly. In this life he meets Elise (Sarah Polley, Dawn of the Dead), and once they grow
up she becomes his wife. But if he makes a different choice he can end up
marrying Jean (Linh Dan Pham, Indochine), a woman who adores Nemo, but he
only tolerates. Each relationship is doomed however, because no matter the
timeline, Nemo wants to be with Anna.

The heart of Mr. Nobody lies with nine year old Nemo played by Thomas
Byrne. His portrayal of a young boy in turmoil is done with a depth that is hard
to imagine coming from such a young child. It is his hesitancy to choose between
two parents he loves, that sparks these many possible lives. Like anyone would,
he wishes he could plot out the right course in order to get the best possible
outcome; but even with careful planning there are no guarantees in life.

Mr. Nobody (Blu-ray) is presented in 2.35:1/1080p HD, a beautiful
film that is more dependent on the visual presentation than it is on the
dialogue. Even so, the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio gives a crisp and clear auditory
experience, highlighted by the wonderful soundtrack by the late Pierre Van
Dormael, who is the deceased brother of director Jaco Van Dormael. It is a
soothing and beautiful accompaniment, the perfect fit to a film that deftly
explores the what-ifs of life. Extras include a making of featurette, deleted
scenes, the AXS TV: Look at Mr. Nobody, the films' trailer, and the R-rated
theatrical version.

Closing Statement

Mr. Nobody is a wonderfully schizophrenic burst of energy that
explores the fear in all of us that we might make a choice we will live to
regret. Nemo knows he cannot go back once he's made his choice, and in his fear,
Nemo stands still, hoping to see what those possibilities are before moving
forward.